Terms & conditions

These general terms and conditions apply to every quote, offer, order and agreement under which Goffin supplies products or services. “Goffin” refers jointly to Goffin Molecular Technologies and Goffin Biosciences, established at Vijzelweg 18a, 5145 NK Waalwijk, the Netherlands. “Customer” refers to the professional organisation requesting a quote or placing an order. “Products” refers to the diagnostic kits, panels, reagents, instruments and consumables we distribute.

By requesting a quote or placing an order, the Customer accepts these terms. Any purchasing or other general conditions of the Customer are expressly rejected, unless Goffin has accepted them in writing. Where a separate, signed agreement exists between Goffin and the Customer, that agreement prevails over these terms on any point of conflict.

Goffin may amend these terms from time to time. The version in force is the one published here and referenced on the quote applicable to your order. Should any provision be found void or unenforceable, the remaining provisions stay in full effect, and the void provision is replaced by a valid one that matches its intent as closely as possible.

Goffin works to quotation, not to a public price list. No prices are published on this website. A quote is prepared against your specific configuration, product, pack size, volume, platform and delivery details, and is shared privately in response to your request, typically within one working day.

What a quote includes and how long it holds

• Validity. Unless stated otherwise on the document, a quote is valid for 30 days from its date. After that, pricing, availability and lead times may be re-confirmed.
• Scope. A quote covers the products, quantities and conditions it names. It does not extend to items, services or volumes not listed.
• Information. Catalogue descriptions, target lists, reaction counts, sample types and lead times are given in good faith and to the best of our knowledge, but are indicative until confirmed on a quote.
• No obligation. Requesting a quote places no obligation on the Customer, and issuing one places no obligation on Goffin to hold stock or capacity until the quote is accepted and an order confirmed.

Obvious errors or clerical mistakes in a quote, for example a transposed figure or a mislabelled pack size, do not bind Goffin, and we will issue a corrected quote where one is found.

An order is placed by accepting a valid quote in writing, by email, signed purchase order, or confirmation through your Goffin contact. An agreement is formed only once Goffin has confirmed the order in writing; until then, no contract exists and stock is not reserved.

Where an order is built from the quote basket on this website, sending the request begins the same process: our team confirms specifications and compatibility, returns a tailored quote, and the agreement is formed on your acceptance of that quote. Adding products to a quote basket is a request for a proposal, not a purchase.

Changes & cancellation

• Amendments. Changes to a confirmed order, quantities, products or delivery dates, take effect only once agreed by Goffin in writing, and may alter price or lead time.
• Cancellation. Confirmed orders for catalogue products may be cancelled before dispatch where stock and supplier conditions allow. Special-order, made-to-order, custom-configured and cold-chain items may be non-cancellable once processing has begun; this is noted on the quote.

Prices are those set out on the accepted quote. Unless the quote states otherwise, prices are exclusive of VAT and other statutory levies, and exclusive of shipping, handling, insurance and any cold-chain surcharge, which are itemised separately where they apply.

Payment terms are stated on the quote and invoice. In the absence of other agreed terms, invoices are payable within 30 days of the invoice date, without set-off or suspension. If payment is not received by the due date, Goffin may charge statutory commercial interest and reasonable collection costs, and may suspend further deliveries until the account is settled.

Title to delivered products passes to the Customer only once payment has been received in full. Until then, the products remain the property of Goffin (retention of title), while the risk in them passes to the Customer on delivery as set out below.

Goffin delivers to professional laboratories across the Benelux, the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg, from its base in Waalwijk. Delivery is scheduled once a quote is approved and the order confirmed, with the expected lead time noted on the quote so you can plan a run.

Lead times, partial delivery & cold chain

• Lead times are indicative. Stated delivery dates are estimates given in good faith and are not strict deadlines. Goffin is not in default for a delivery date until it has been given written notice and a reasonable period to perform.
• Partial deliveries. Goffin may deliver an order in instalments and invoice each separately, where this helps you receive available stock sooner.
• Cold chain. Temperature-sensitive reagents and kits are shipped under appropriate cold-chain conditions. On receipt, the Customer should inspect the consignment and store products per the instructions for use.

Risk in the products passes to the Customer on delivery at the agreed address. The Customer is responsible for inspecting deliveries promptly and reporting visible damage or shortage in line with clause 08. Where delivery is delayed at the Customer’s request, risk passes from the moment the products are ready for dispatch.

Force majeure. Goffin is not liable for delay or failure to perform caused by circumstances beyond its reasonable control, including supplier shortages, transport disruption, regulatory action, or interruption of a cold chain by a carrier, and may suspend affected obligations for the duration of the event.

Goffin supplies in-vitro diagnostic (IVD) products for use by qualified professionals in an appropriate laboratory setting. Products are not intended for sale to, or use by, members of the public, and nothing on this website constitutes medical advice or a diagnosis.

The Customer’s responsibilities

• Intended use. Each product must be used strictly in accordance with its instructions for use (IFU), its CE-IVDR labelling and its regulatory status. Off-label or research use is at the Customer’s own responsibility.
• Validation. The Customer is responsible for verifying and, where required, validating each product on its own platform, sample types and workflow before clinical use, and for interpreting results in clinical context.
• Qualified personnel. Products must be handled, stored and disposed of by trained personnel under the Customer’s quality system, observing applicable biosafety and waste regulations.
• Regulatory. The Customer is responsible for any accreditation, reporting and regulatory obligations attaching to its own use of the products.

Goffin warrants that, on delivery, products conform to their manufacturer specification and instructions for use, and, where applicable, that they carry valid CE-IVDR documentation. Reagents and kits are warranted to meet specification up to the expiry date stated on the packaging, provided they are transported, stored and handled in accordance with the IFU.

As a distributor, Goffin passes through the manufacturer’s warranty for instruments and consumables and will support warranty and service claims on the Customer’s behalf. This warranty does not cover defects arising from misuse, incorrect storage, modification, expiry, or use outside the intended purpose.

Limitation of liability

• Goffin’s total liability arising from or in connection with an order is limited to the net invoice value of the products to which the claim relates, or, at Goffin’s option, to repair, replacement or re-supply of those products.
• Goffin is not liable for indirect or consequential loss, including loss of profit, loss of data, downtime, reagent run costs, or the cost of repeated or invalidated assays.
• The Customer’s reliance on the validation, interpretation and clinical application of results, being matters within the Customer’s control under clause 06, is excluded from Goffin’s liability.

Nothing in these terms limits liability that cannot lawfully be excluded, including liability for death or personal injury caused by negligence, for fraud, or under mandatory product-liability law. Any claim must be notified in line with clause 08.

The Customer should inspect every delivery on receipt. Visible damage, shortage or an incorrect item must be reported to Goffin within five (5) working days of delivery; hidden defects within five working days of discovery, and in any event within the product’s shelf life. Reporting promptly lets us resolve matters with the carrier or manufacturer while a claim is still possible.

How returns work

• Authorisation. Returns require prior written agreement from Goffin. Please contact us before sending anything back so we can issue return instructions and, where relevant, a reference.
• Condition. Returned products must be unused, in original packaging, and, for temperature-sensitive items, have been kept within their required storage range throughout. The cold chain must be demonstrable.
• Non-returnable items. Opened reagents, expired or short-dated stock, custom-configured and special-order products, and items whose cold chain cannot be verified are not eligible for return on change-of-mind grounds.
• Resolution. Where a complaint is upheld, Goffin will repair, replace, re-supply or credit the affected products. This is the Customer’s primary remedy, subject to the limits in clause 07.

Complaints are handled by our team and, where a manufacturer investigation is involved, we keep you informed of progress. For the full route, see our complaints procedure.

All intellectual property in the products, their documentation, brand names and software remains with the respective manufacturers and rights-holders. Nothing in an order transfers any such right to the Customer beyond the right to use the product for its intended purpose.

Quotes, pricing and any technical or commercial information Goffin shares are confidential and provided for the Customer’s internal evaluation only. They may not be disclosed to third parties or used to the disadvantage of Goffin or its suppliers. Goffin treats the Customer’s information with equal care, and processes personal data in line with our privacy statement.

These terms and every agreement to which they apply are governed exclusively by the law of the Netherlands. The applicability of the United Nations Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods (the Vienna Sales Convention, CISG) is expressly excluded.

The parties will first try to resolve any dispute in good-faith consultation. Where that does not succeed, the dispute will be submitted to the competent court in the district in which Goffin is established, without prejudice to any mandatory statutory provision on jurisdiction. This choice does not prevent Goffin from bringing proceedings before any other court that has jurisdiction.